Improvement in implements for loading cartridge-shells



UNITED STATES PATENT CFF-ICE.

LESTER A. BEAaDsLEE, oF LITTLE EALLs, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN IMPLEMENTS FOR LOADING CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 153,302, dated July 2,1, 1874; application filed June e, 1874.

To all u'lzom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESTER. A. BEARDS- LEE, of Little Falls, in the county of Herkimcr and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements to the Machine for Loading Cartridges for which Letters Patent Nos.f14.9,183, dated March 31, 1874, were granted to me; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and accurate description of' the saine, together with the modified form of the machine, which adapts it to use in combination with the improvements, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specilication, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side view of com `A plete machine; Fig. .Z, plan of same; Figs 3, 4, and 5, views more' in detail of the improve; ments.

A represents a bed provided with the in'- wardly-converging groove a, its smaller end being curved on the arc of a circle slightly larger, but corresponding to the perimeter of a loading cylinder or tube, B, concaved on top at b, and provided with an elastic funnel, S, which acts as a guide and steadier to the shell, and also as guide to the wads, powder, and shot. stamped, from sheet-brass, in the shape as per views, and wound upon a mandrel, and.

a flange turned upon its upper end. 1t is then placed in mouth of loading-tube B, and secured.

- Heretofore a device approximating to my elastic funnel has been used so as to be operated by the descending rammer; but in such cases it only operates to spread the mouth of the cartridge, and is wholly unprotected from injury during transportation. In using my elastic funnel permanently fixed to the loading-socket, I overcome all of the disadvantages of any of the funnels heretofore used.

'lhe diameter of its lower section is such that it will enter a small cartridge-shell and steady it, while a large shell, being longer, will go farther up, and encounter alarger section of the funnel, and be equally steadied. lhis funnel prevents any grains of powder or pellets of shot from going outside the shell, and between it and loading tube.

The elastic funnel S is' Also, opposes suiicient resistance tol a wad goingin at an angle to forceit to go horizontallyfinto the shell under the push of the rammer. Secondly, thev novel mode and means by which, byuse of gage plug I and points p andp, the charge is Irmly secured in the shell.

C is the cartridge-case, :fittin g into thecorrespondingly-central cavity b', but not shown in such position. D is the rammer,vas well as the hollow conductor, through which the ammunition falls from the funnel or cup E. This rammer is cylindrical, and slides in the guide f, placed at the end of curved upright l?, which upright F is cast with a dovetailcd base, which slides into a metallic socket secured to th e bed A, and can be taken out when not in use, thus reducing the machine to convenient size for stowing in a gun-case. G is a lever, connected with the reciprocating plunger by a link, g, that is pivoted to each, and has its i'ulcruln near the elbow of the curved standard F. The retracting-spring I has one end attached to the lever G, and the other secured to the dovetailed base. cylindrical piece ot' wood or metal, with a square end, which lits into the hinged socket K. The plug' is of such length that when a loaded cartridge-shell is placed over it the end will press against the wadVV,l and the reduced portion will come directly under 'the center of the rammer D, the screw-points p and p" hein g secured, the one in the rammer D, the other in the bed A, in holes provided.

The application is as follows: A cartridgecase, C, being inserted within the holder l, and the latter pushed to the bottom or small end of converging groove a, the bed-groove centers the cartridge case under the rammer D. A charge of powder is poured into the 'funnel E. lt falls through the hollow rammer D, and is iinally received on the bottom of cartridge-case. A wad is now dropped down the top concavity b of t'ube B, and directly under the rammer D, which is then brought down by use of lever Gr, and the `wad driven home.

The spring-funnel S prevents the wad from becoming canted, and failing to go squarely home. .Lhe shot is now poured, and a second wad driven home in a similar manner. The charges having been placed into the required I isthe gage-plug, a

,from slipping out. To this end, thegage-plug P, attached by hinged' socket to bed-plate, is turned into plane f bed A, and the iron points p and p screwed, the one into endof rammer I) and the other into rbed A, iinnfiediatelj,T under, in holes provided. The shell C is then pushed into the plug P until the Wad WV comes in close Contact with the end of p1ugwhen, by a downward pusho' the rammel', two burrs are made inthe shell close to the Wad, which secures the Wad, and completes the process.

- kThe operation may be performed with great rapidity, economy of time, and by a servant or unskilled person, andk one machine isr adapted to the various gages of shells.

Having thus described my invention, what I cla-im is-` i 1. An elastic funnel, S, in combination with, and fixed to, the loading-socket B, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the gage-ping Pand the metallic ypoints p and p with the hollor rammel' D and bed-plate A, as described, and for purpose as described. f

LESTER A'. BEARDSLEE.

Witnesses:

R; K. EVANS,

WILL. H. MoXoN. 

